Lily plant: Crete

ABSTRACT

A new variety of hybrid lily plant bearing large clusters of flowers of excellent form and long persistence, both on the plant and as cut-flowers. The up-facing flowers of the new plant are particularly characterized by somewhat inwardly-cupped tepals with deep magenta pink coloration, no spotting, and nectaries with short pink to white hair. This combination is completely new in the upright Asiatic divisions of lilies suited to forcing and to mass commercial cultivation. The plant is highly resistant to disease and shows high tolerance of virus. It is an excellent garden plant. The bulbs may be precooled and forced for cut-flower production. The new lily plant is vigorous and is a good grower and propagator.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of lily classifiedbotanically as a lilium hybrid and commercially as an upright Asiatichybrid. I have selected the name "Crete" as the varietal name for myplant.

My new variety of lily plant originated as a seedling selected from agroup of seedlings growing in a cultivated area at Julianadorp, TheNetherlands. The seedlings were planted as a result of breeding effortscarried on by me since 1976. The breeding efforts had as their objectivethe production of upright Asiatic lilies in shades of pink and rose,well suited to forcing for cut-flower production out of season,heretofore unknown in the lily breeding art.

I achieved the desired objective by extensive interpollinations amongmany hybrid lily cultivars.

The flowers of my new lily are characterized by an upright orientation;slightly "cupped" tepals; a deep magenta pink coloration; a lack ofspotting; and soft pink to white pubescent nectaries. This combinationof form and color is unique in this type of lily.

In addition, my new lily plant possesses to a high degree desirablecharacteristics of hybrid vigor, great hardiness, and diseaseresistance, including a high tolerance of virus. It possesses all of thedesired characteristics of excellence of form, color and habit. Itsexcellently formed flowers, of large size, are produced on a singlestalk. The new lily plant is vigorous, a good grower, and a rapidpropagator, as observed at Julianadorp, The Netherlands, and atWoodland, Wash.

Also, my new lily plant has versatility both as a garden plant and as acut flower producer. It is well suited to forcing out of season when thebulbs are dug at the appropriate time and properly precooled. Forexample, October-dug bulbs, properly precooled and potted in January,will flower under glass in Western Oregon, with no supplementarylighting and at moderate greenhouse temperatures, in an average ofseventy to eighty days.

My new variety of Asiatic hybrid lily most nearly resembles the lily"Winesap, " but it has no spots, broader but more "cupped" tepals, andpubescent nectaries. My new variety of lily also resembles "Debutante"in color, but my new variety differs from "Debutante" in that my newvariety has more upfacing flowers which are less reflexed at the tepaltips, has tepals which lack spotting, has "cupped" tepals, and has muchtaller stems.

My new variety of lily plant has been asexually reproduced by me andunder my direction at Julianadorp, The Netherlands and at Woodland,Wash. Successive generations produced by bulb scale propagation and bynatural propagation from bulblets have demonstrated that the novel anddistinctive characteristics of my new variety are fixed and hold trueunder asexual propagation from generation to generation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

My new variety of lily plant is illustrated in the accompanyingphotographic drawing, which shows the open bloom in full color andillustrates the flower form, the tepal arrangement, the connection ofthe flower to the stem, and in particular the novel and distinctiveunspotted, deep magenta pink flowers with their pubescent, "frosted"nectaries.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MY NEW VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of my new variety of Asiatichybrid lily, with nomenclature according to the International LilyRegister (Royal Horticultural Society of London, Second Edition, 1969),and with color designations according to the Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society, published by the Society in 1966.

The Plant

Origin: Seedling.

Seed parent: Unnamed seedling.

Pollen parent: Unnamed seedling.

Commercial classification: Hybrid Lilium clone.

Horticultural classification: Division I-A, upright Asiatic hybrid lily,according to the Horticultural Classification of Lilies, RoyalHorticultural Society of London.

Form: Single stem, erect and stately.

Height: 70-100 cm from bulbs 15 to 18 cm in circumference, providedtheir light levels are adequate; low light levels may cause"stretching."

Growth: Vigorous and upright.

Foliage quantity: Abundant.

Size of leaf: Averages 8 to 12 cm long by 5 to 12 mm wide; leaves arelonger near the top of the stem and shorter at the base.

Shape of leaf: Lanceolate (pointed).

Texture: Leathery and glossy; apex of leaves may be lightly pubescent.

Color: Dark green, lighter on lower side.

Bulb size: Any size, ranging to 25 cm in circumference commercially.

Bulb color: White.

The Bud

Form: Obtuse, ovoid and long.

Size: 8 to 9 cm long and 7 cm in circumference just prior to opening.

Opening: Bud opens slowly, in response to morning light; this takesabout one hour.

Color: R.H.S. CC red-purple 59 B/C overlaid with light green along themidribs, just prior to bud's opening. The tepal reverse retains its deeprose color after the bud opens.

Peduncle: Averages 4 to 6 cm, but it may elongate if light levels aretoo low or if bulbs have been improperly stored prior to forcing. Coloris dark green with plum overlay.

The Flower

Blooming habit: Annually in midseason; flowers once and profusely.

Size: Flowers are large-sized for Asiatic hybrids. They average 14 to 17cm in diameter; the outer tepals average 2 to 2.5 cm wide, and the innertepals average 3 cm wide. Tepals cup inwardly slightly along theirmargins.

Borne: In a single racemic inflorescence producing 7 to 12 buds (from abulb 18 cm in circumference).

Shape: First open in cup shape, which flattens as tepals recurvesomewhat by their second day.

Tepalage: Typical of genus Lilium, with 6 imbricated tepals.

Tepal color: Flowers are distingusihed by their deep magenta rosecoloration, basically R.H.S. CC red-purple 63 A-B, shading to R.H.S. CC64 B just above the nectaries. The coloration is even upon firstopening, but may fade near the tepal tips to R.H.S. CC 63 B/C underconditions of unusually warm temperatures, extremely intense lightlevels, or extremely low light levels. The nectary furrows arepubescent, "frosted" with short hairs which are very light pink towhite.

Tepal spotting: Tepals are unspotted.

Tepal longevity: Tepals stay on stems about three weeks.

Pedicel length: Average 6 to 12 cm long.

Pedicel color: Deep green with plum overlay.

Pedicel form: Sturdy and ascending up to 45 degrees from the horizontal.Occasional secondary buds.

Color changes: As the flowers age, they may become slightly lighter anda more lavender-toned pink, approaching R.H.S. CC 63 B/C to 64 C/D.Light levels which are extremely high or low and extreme heat may causethe pink pigmentation to decrease; changes will be inconspicuous iflight levels are adequate for cut-flower maintenance.

Appearance: Flower is shiny.

Disease resistance: The flower and plant are resistant to disease; inparticular, they are resistant to Fusarium bulb rot and Botrytis blight.

Fragrance: None.

Lasting quality: The flower is long lasting, both on the plant and as acut-flower.

The Reproductive Organs

Stamens and anthers: Arrangement typical of genus Lilium. Six stamenswith soft pink (R.H.S. CC greyed purple 184 D) filaments 5 cm long.

Pollen and anthers (dehisced): R.H.S. CC greyed red 178 A.

Pistil: One in number, 5 cm long.

Stigma: Soft cream to very light pink, medium in size.

Characteristics of ovary: Characteristic of genus Lilium.

The Fruit

Fertility: The fruit is fertile.

Shape: Ovoid.

Color at maturity: Soft brown, sometimes overlaid with soft plum.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinctive variety of Asiatic hybrid lily plantsubstantially as herein shown and described.